Acquiring and Retaining Customers

The 2009 Microsoft Small and Mid-sized Business (SMB) Insight Report reveals that 43% of the 620 small business owners surveyed listed customer acquisition and retention as the key challenge they faced, irrespective of the current economic climate.

Customer Satisfaction is Key

It is significant that rather than cost control, most businesses see customer satisfaction and managing it as the biggest challenge they face. This is not to say that other challenges are unimportant. The Microsoft Insight Report, for instance, found a number of other issues such as competition from retail, direct customer engagement by vendors and shortage of skilled IT staff on business owners’ minds.

However, most business owners are coming around to the realization that without customer engagement and satisfaction, solving the other issues is unlikely to help.

The Implications for Small Businesses

Having come to this realization, small businesses are likely to look for the best possible ways in which they can maximize customer delight. And do it effectively, in terms of cost and time. Here begins the search for cutting-edge technology that can help the team manage its resources well and support customers when they need it.

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